I think one thing that is happening is that you're setting yourself up for failure. You've been having this problem with losing lucidity for a while and it's possible that you're expecting yourself to lose lucidity. If that's the case, just remember that the more you practice, the better you'll get. Just give it time.

If you have to start out with small stuff, then by all means do so, but there are two things that you need: 1. Remind yourself that you're dreaming constantly so you won't slip out, and 2. Just have confidence. If you're uncertain that you'll be able to do something an an LD, chances are it's not going to happen. If you want to fly, then jump off of a cliff and soar! It's your dream.

As for the acronyms, you can find pretty much all of them under the Tutorials section, but here's a handly little guide for you: http://www.dreamviews.com/community/...ead.php?t=2954

Welcome to DV!